Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg and Verizon COO Lowell McAdam were joined on Thursday (Jan. 6) by three of the communications and entertainment industry's top executives to kick off the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show.

Seidenberg invited Jeff Bewkes, chairman and CEO of Time Warner; Dr. Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola and CEO of Motorola Mobility; and Mike Cleron, principal engineer of Google, to participate in his CES opening keynote address, which focused on how high-IQ networks and innovative content and applications are combining to fuel "one of the most innovative eras in the history of technology."

The five executives engaged in lively discussions of their companies' current collaborations and the future of communications and entertainment technologies. The broad range of topics included multi-screen and mobile video, HD and 3D content, 4G smartphones and converged devices, evolution of the Android platform, and open development.

During the keynote address, Seidenberg noted that today's more than 2 billion Internet users and 5 billion wireless users form the biggest market for technology the world has ever known. He said that collaborations between hardware and software, computing and communications, technology giants and thousands of entrepreneurs will be crucial to the industry's ability to deliver relevant, personalized communications and entertainment services to billions of individuals.

"People are using technology to erase the boundaries between home and work, here and there, virtual and real," Seidenberg said. "They imagine access to everything at their fingertips and they want it now, no matter where they are or what screen they have at hand. They are challenging us to deliver better products, faster networks, more simplicity and more creativity."

Ultra-fast intelligent networks, including Verizon's advanced 4G LTE, fiber-to-the-home and global IP networks, will spread innovation on a global scale and help lead the way to the future, according to Seidenberg.

"The more we infuse consumer electronics with the power and intelligence of high-speed networks, the faster we'll create new demand and accelerate the cycle of innovation and growth that drives the industry forward," he said.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 93 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.